Jalen Hurts putting in the work with his teammates

The franchise quarterback is getting ready with some younger teammates ahead of the upcoming season.

Being the starting quarterback in a football-mad city like Philadelphia comes with a lot of responsibilities off the field. First of all, you have to pander to us by saying something simple like “cheesesteaks are great” or “the Braves really suck.” Second of all, you have to be aware that your every move will be dissected by fans, especially in the doldrums of summer before training camp starts.

Unrelated to all that…Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was recently putting in some work with younger teammates, per Hurts’ Instagram Story.

In this first picture it looks like Hurts is working on some route concepts with rookies Johnny Wilson (6th round WR), Ainias Smith (5th round WR), and Will Shipley (4th round RB). While none of these guys are surefire bets to make the final roster, it’s great to see that they want to work with QB1 before training camp in order to bolster their chances.

All three bring a different skillset to the team that could help Hurts come September. Wilson is nearly 6-foot-7, Smith scored touchdowns on the ground, through the air, and via return while at Texas A&M, and Shipley is a versatile running back whose brother plays lacrosse at Penn (local connection!).

I can’t 100% tell who Hurts is talking to in this second picture, but it appears to be newly signed wideout Parris Campbell. Entering his sixth year in the NFL, five in Indianapolis and last year with the New York Giants, Campbell is looking to deliver on the considerable promise he showed while at Ohio State. I couldn’t possibly begin to tell you what Hurts is showing Campbell here (something with his footwork???) but in a crowded WR room in Philly, getting any help from Hurts is assuredly useful.

Philadelphia should get training camp going at the end of July and we can see if any of these extra sessions with Hurts paid off for the young guys looking to make the team.